UNDERDOG

I’ve been spending a lot of time on my own lately, talking to myself and slowly but surely drifting toward becoming the old lady in the supermarket who comments on everything she picks off the shelves. 

I’m always curious about what’s in people’s minds (other than shopping lists) – not just what they think, but how their brain works (on this subject, see this fascinating article about inner voices).

This selection of films gives us direct access to the characters’ most intimate thoughts. From a conversation with an inner child to the ruminations of an insomniac, here are three animated shorts to put your own inner monologue on hold.

I Am Tom Moody, by Ainslie Henderson (2012)

Simply one of my favourite short films of all time, this stop-motion gem by Ainslie Henderson never fails to make me cry at the same scene (and I’m a tough crowd). The apparent simplicity with which it gives shape to a profound and complex feeling keeps amazing me.

All Gucci My Broski, by Harry Plowden (2023)

Using a mix of techniques and layers of text and voice over, this short captures the mundane and messy life of a young man. The director admitted his idea for the film “came from wanting to embarrass [himself] as much as possible” – surely a great starting point for any work of art.

On Loop, by Christine Hooper (2013)

Another British production, this graduation film from RCA was made in 2013, a time when the term ‘doomscrolling’ hadn’t been invented yet. With its clever collage inspired by David Hockney’s photomontages, it offers a pretty faithful representation of a restless mind on a sleepless night.

_{Cover image: On Loop, Christine Hopper (RCA, 2013)}